The present invention relates to a resistant exercise trainer and related speed training process. More particularly, the present invention relates to a resistance exercise trainer kit having a durable bag capable of retaining multiple safe weights for use in a related speed training process that enhances athletic endurance, speed and strength.
The popularity of training devices designed to improve athletic performance such as strength, speed and endurance have increased in popularity in recent years for both professional and amateur athletes. Accordingly, a wide variety of equipment and training regimens have been devised for athletes having a variety of skill levels. Training equipment has been designed for athletes involved in a variety of sports that include soccer, football, hockey, track and field, basketball, baseball, swimming, etc. The training devices are devised to improve physical performance by applying a drag force, weight or other impedance to the athlete during an exercise or training regimen. The restraints are specifically designed to resist athletic movement. Thus, the athlete must exert a greater than normal muscular effort to perform the exercise or training regimen. Restraints of this kind are particularly popular for improving athletic strength, speed and endurance.
One example of such a training device includes strapping weights to an athlete prior to running. During training, the athlete must overcome increased forces from the weights to reach normal running speed. The athlete also experiences a greater physical load over the duration of the entire training session. Once removed, the athlete may achieve higher speeds and longer distances since the body experiences less resistance and less work load due to the absence of the weights. Other athletes may use weighted sleds or skids that must be pushed or pulled in order to obtain additional resistance. For example, a cord extending from a sled connects to a belt strapped to an athlete. The athlete pulls the sled while running across an artificial turf or natural field. The athlete must exert a greater than normal muscular effort to drag the additional weight across the field. Alternatively, athletes may push weighted skids. These are particularly popular in football where offensive or defensive linemen push tackling dummies attached to a weighted skid to improve blocking or tackling skills in addition to building strength, speed and endurance. But, appropriate weight selection, attachment, distribution of weight to the body, and formulation of training regimens with respect to the above-identified devices are difficult. Moreover, weights and large, heavy sleds or skids are relatively expensive, difficult to adjust, certainly uncomfortable to wear and are inconvenient to store and transport due to the requisite quantity, weight and size.
More recently developed techniques use wind or water resistance through the use of a strap-on chute that increases resistance by collecting air or water during running or swimming. More specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,186 to Stewart et al. discloses a parachute designed to resist forward motion. The parachute is square shaped and has a number of attached parachute cords drawn through a spacing disk that prevents the cords from tangling. The parachute attaches to the athlete by a strap extending from the cords. The parachute opens in the wind during running and exerts a drag force on the athlete. In general, resistance exerted on the athlete is a function of the size and shape of the inflated parachute. Athletes may also experience larger drag forces at higher speeds. But, the Stewart parachute suffers from an inability to predictably change the resistance of the parachute. Changing resistance is important especially since athletes vary in weight, height, and most importantly, strength. Individual athletes may also require different resistances during different portions of a training regimen. Hence, an athlete must acquire multiple parachutes, each varying in size and possibly shape, to accommodate the need for multiple resistances. Another drawback of the Stewart parachute design is that an athlete will experience larger resistances and higher drag on windy days. Additionally, depending upon the direction of the wind, it may be difficult for the athlete to even inflate the parachute to obtain any resistance. The square parachute design in Stewart also does not always adequately catch wind and stay inflated, particularly during turns. Other similar prior art parachute devices tangle easily and may be unstable in both straight movement and upon turning.
Another parachute design is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,472,394 to Michaelson, which endeavors to solve the problems associated with Stewart. Michaelson discloses a parachute for use in speed and endurance training for amateur or professional athletes. The parachute is usable during running, biking, skating, etc. The parachute includes a set of cords that attach to an edge of the parachute at one end and commonly attach together to a strap, e.g. a belt worn by the athlete, at the other end. A regulator alters the free length of the cords and the corresponding shape of the inflated parachute. In turn, the athlete may adjust the resistance of the parachute by adjusting the length of the cords. The parachute sheet itself is formed with air pockets extending radially out from near the center of the sheet and terminating at the cord attachment points. The drag afforded by the parachute is adjusted by the degree of the opening of the pockets and the size of the inflated parachute. Shortening the length of the cords decreases the size of the inflated parachute and decreases the maximum drag. Increasing the length of the cords correspondingly increases the size of the inflated parachute thereby increasing the maximum drag. While the Michaelson design improves on adjustability in view of Stewart, it still fails to take into account predictable and reliable resistance. Like Stewart, Michaelson cannot control environmental factors such as wind, which ultimately affects the resistance exerted on the athlete.
Alternative resistance-based athletic training devices used to improve athletic performance include the aforementioned sleds or skids. Football players in particular use blocking sleds to improve endurance, speed and skills such as blocking or tackling techniques. Blocking sleds typically have a large, broad base and include a dummy positioned at one end thereof. The player contacts the dummy and drives the sled backwards. The player must exert significant energy to move the heavy and cumbersome sled backwards. A person may stand on the rear platform to add additional resistance and weight to the sled.
In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,942,585 to Krause discloses a moveable football training sled having a blocking dummy mounted to a front portion of an elongated frame. The front portion is generally flat and angled relative to a tipped rear portion. A wheel is mounted rearwardly of the front portion and midway between laterally opposite sides of the frame. A player strikes the blocking dummy, tilts the front portion back about the wheel and drives the sled backwards. The size and weight of the frame and tackling dummy provide weighted resistance to the athlete moving the frame.
Moreover, U.S. Pat. No. 6,261,194 to Hadar et al. discloses a one man football blocking sled capable of being interconnected to form a multiple-man tackling sled. The one-man tackling sleds are connected together by a bar that extends through and locks into a channel rigidly attached to each sled. Of course, increasing the number of connected sleds increases the weight of resistance of the training device. But, the multiple-man sled is designed to be used with multiple athletes. Accordingly, each athlete is assigned to “tackle” the corresponding dummy attached to each individual blocking sled. Thus, individual athletes will not experience an increase or decrease in resistance as other players using the tacking sled make up the difference in load.
Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 2,237,600 to Gilman discloses a blocking sled having a set of runners secured to an upright arcuate member at one end. A spring secured above the lower portion of the arcuate member increases the resistance of the arcuate member in response to contact by the athlete. In this regard, the athlete drives into the arcuate member and forces the blocking sled rearwardly. Friction between the runners and the ground, and forces in the spring, provide the necessary resistance to work the athlete. Of course, the blocking sled includes padding on the free ends of the arcuate member driven by the athlete. This prevents physical contact of the athlete with the metallic arcuate member.
Unfortunately, the blocking or tackling sleds described above have several general drawbacks. For instance, the sleds are often expensive, difficult to move and require significant storage space relative to other training devices. While professional sports teams can typically easily afford such a training device, smaller football programs, such as a high school football program, may have difficulty raising the funds or finding the requisite storage space to house the training equipment. But, these training devices do reduce player-to-player contact and are particularly desirable because they reduce the number of injuries associated with contact between two players. Thus, athletes are able to train harder and longer without substantially increasing the risk of injury due to constant contact with other teammates.
There exists, therefore, a significant need for a versatile, safe and inexpensive resistance exercise trainer and related speed training process. Such a resistance exercise trainer should include a durable bag capable of storing one or more safe weights, should be attachable to a person, should provide relatively predictable resistance based on the quantity of safe weights in the bag and the surface along which the bag is dragged upon and should be easy to manufacture, inexpensive and compact. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages.